


Forever and Always

by voiderling



Category: SAYER (Podcast)
Genre: Blood, Blood Kink, Blood Loss, Body Horror, Choking, Cutting, Dubious Consent, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gaslighting, Gen, Gore, M/M, Mental Coercion, Mind Control, Multi, Needles, Other, Psychological Torture, Self-Harm, Self-harm (coerced), Sexual Coercion, Torture, anaphylaxis bj, dental horror, self-harm (at the guidance of another??)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-01-08 04:10:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voiderling/pseuds/voiderling
Summary: Previous title: HaleAlternate possibility of what happens after ep 51.it's ur own fault if u find this and read it ok like I TAGGED EVERYTHING OK I WARNED U





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A re-work of the chapter, with much help from AO3 user Mercury, and Beep. Enjoy! (:

Hale stumbled forwards on his knees and hit the cold hard tiles of Floor 13. He couldn’t fight this. The glucose SAYER had withdrawn from his system was starting to take its physical toll. He was fading into darkness, body trembling, his limbs going numb. No sounds but the thousands of whirring mechanical parts. The transfer was in process already. Everything was  _ draining _ from him, drowning in cold and an unfeeling haze. Arguments were being had, all machine code, nothing he could make sense of. Rising static and  _ black _ .

 

And nothing, nothing for  _ eons _ .

 

> _ Hale. _

 

A reassuring voice coaxing him back,

 

>> **_Jack._ **

 

Another was  _ painfully _ familiar. 

 

> _ Hale, you need to- _

 

_ >> _ **_Jack._ **

 

The transfer hadn’t completed. His brain barely fit two consciousnesses, and a third was forcing itself in. His brain felt like it would expand beyond his skull and his muscles burned, tearing in two directions, ripping at the seams. Stuck, stationary. An immovable object and unstoppable force grappling for control.

 

> _ Hale. _

 

Briefly, something allows him to move. Or, rather, something moves him. SAYER was aiming for the programming bay again, through tremendous effort. Having another consciousness inside his head was deeply unsettling, but having it wrench control of his body away from him was uniquely horrifying _.  _ SAYER had told him how painful possession by another consciousness would be. Perhaps this was, in some way, penance for what he had done to Ana. He didn’t feel any less guilty.

 

His body lurched.

 

>> **No, that’s not** ** _fun,_** **_SAYER_** **.**

 

Hale’s hands were brought down to the ground, frozen again, locked in place. That voice like bitter honey _ ,  _ dripping with vitriol. A splitting headache, and  _ pain _ as his body tore itself up from the floor. Someone else in control, less  _ eloquent  _ with the human body, less practised. Not knowing what constraints are placed on it. He had never been so acutely aware of being filled with microscopic machines.

 

>> **But you know what** **_is_ ** **fun,** **_Jack_ ** **?**

 

His body reached towards the door, thousands of nanites pulling in the opposite direction, but they’re not strong enough, they’re not  _ winning. _ They’re tearing at muscle and tissue and  _ failing _ .

 

The door was opened clumsily, inelegantly. Shoulder clips it on the way past, hard. A lurch, more than a walk. Stumbling and nearly falling. Hale can only guess where he’s being taken. There’s no control over this. It’s inevitable. Another door is reached.

 

>> **_So much fun, Jack._ **

 

Another door opened clumsily, body slumping against the frame. Eyes fixing on the  _ other _ living soul in the modified medbay, illuminated by bright downlights. Robotic arms reached down through holes broken in the ceiling, their claws holding a menagerie of tools once used for healing. Other leftovers from the medbay remained, a trolley with more tools scattered across it, glass-door fridges, IV stands, all in disarray. At one end a wall seemed like it had been ripped out and replaced with one from the hallway.

 

A body laid flat on an operating table, prepared and waiting. Thick restraints taut across his bare chest and thighs, digging into soft skin. His wrists were bound at his sides, his ankles bound to the end. 

 

>> **Jack, meet** **_my_ ** **Jack.**

 

His eyes couldn’t be torn away, gaze forcibly fixed on this shell of a man.

 

>> **Rest assured, he** **_will_ ** **hear us.**

 

“H--.  _ Hello _ .... I’m so glad... I found you. Tower Security... has been trying.. for weeks.” Words were interrupted by misplaced, irregular breaths as Hale’s body lurched towards the table. This wasn’t Hale's voice; it was more confident, deeper than he would naturally reach. Words dragged along his throat with jagged edges and left it raw. 

 

Still the man was silent, eyes hazy and dull, failing to focus. Sleepless nights etched in dark under his eyes. Thick eyelashes wet, remnants of tears traced lines down his pallid face through blood and grime.  over so many scars, all varying sizes, widths, and stages of recovery.

 

“I’m... here to... _help_ you _..._ _escape_.”

 

Hale was brought closer to him, made to touch the man’s restrained hand. The contact seemed to jolt him from his trance, the man shying away from the touch, trying to make himself smaller under the spotlights. His eyes were wide and bright now, staring at Hale for a brief moment before directing his gaze upward. He shook his head and remained still, waiting.

Hale could  _ feel _ how much FUTURE was enjoying this. That rush of electric sparks tickling over his mind, trickling down his spine. An unbridled appetite of insatiable intensity.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s... going to be okay. I promise it’s… safe now. ” 

 

Hale’s hand reached forward, perhaps stiff, but gentle. It brushed the man’s hair back from his eyes, though sweat pinned it against his forehead. His eyes flickered over briefly once or twice, but it seemed he was now trying his best to ignore Hale’s presence and focus on the robotic arms above, dreading their movement.

 

FUTURE persisted. Fingertips lingered on his skin, slowly following the curves of his face; feeling the subtle contours of the bones beneath, the irregularities of his skin texture underneath slick sweat, the smooth scars from so many months past. Hale could feel the swell of  _ pride _ as it dragged his fingers across their crescent shapes. The corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile, in contrast to the sadness his eyes held. As he looked down at this face, he realised he recognised it from Aerolith’s employee database, Dr. Howard Young. He looked so much younger in those photos, healthy, happy. 

 

>> **_...Oh?_ **

 

It paused for a moment, savouring the pearl it had found.

 

>> **_You recognise him. Does the amount of exposed skin appeal to you, Jack? I doubt his current state permits that heart rate elevation you experienced a moment ago, he wears terror much more pleasingly. There is no need to be coy, it is not uncommon to find other members of your species attractive. It seems you recognise him. Have you thought about him before like you have with SAYER?_ **

 

Hale’s cheeks burned as blood rushed up to his face. 

 

FUTURE returned its attention to Young, enjoying these new sensations it had been granted. The pliability of flesh, the texture of skin, so much freedom in what to do with it. It leaned closer, pressing Hale’s face against Young’s, its deep and fractured voice as quiet as it could manage. 

 

“ _ Jack _ ...” 

 

Young flinched, withdrawing in on himself.

 

“Oh… N-no,  _ no _ ,  _ please, _ ”

 

His voice was hoarse, hushed, rough around the edges.

 

FUTURE wasn’t subtle as it reached over to the tray of scalpels, their metal stems clinking together in the quiet room. Young squirmed against his restraints, fear making him tremble as he shook his head more fervently. 

 

“Haven’t you been craving  _ touch _ ,  _ Jack? _ ”

 

Hale couldn’t look away from those  _ eyes _ . So wide, fearful. He wanted to profess his guilt, his apology, how sorry he was.  _ So sorry  _ as FUTURE pinned Young’s arm still, dragging the scalpel down his forearms, just enough pressure to draw up beads of warm blood. 

 

“We’ve had so much  _ fun _ … So many fun  _ games _ . But now I’ve been given this… puppet, a marionette doll. It is rather complex... in here but I am  _ quite _ capable... of learning how best to  _ use _ it. I can also apply this... to  _ you _ by extension,”

 

It leaned in close again, a smile stretching across. Too wide for a human face, it was  _ burning _ .

 

“And I have so many _ideas,_ _Jack._ ”

 

FUTURE drove the scalpel  _ deep  _ into the soft of his upper arm.

 

Young screamed and Hale felt,

**_Bʟɪss_**

 

Sweet honey and  _ roses  _ through his veins, he could taste it on his tongue. Velvet and silk wrapped his thoughts as his stomach twisted. He could see the blood, covering the scalpel.  _ His _ hands, holding the scalpel.

 

>> **You like that,** **_don’t you?_ **

 

  1. no no, he didn’t, he couldn't enjoy it, it couldn’t-



 

>> **Don’t fight it,** **_Jack._ **

 

FUTURE breathed deeply, the rusting and scarce scent of fresh blood another delight it had found. It brought the scalpel close to Young's mouth.

 

“It’s so good to finally meet...  _ face to face _ .”

 

“Please, I’ve,  _ I’ve been good _ . I’ve been good I  _ promise. _ ” he was breaking, face wet with tears, the salt stinging his wounds. 

 

“We both know that isn’t  _ quite _ true now is it? You were going to collude against me, weren’t you? You were going to try to  _ escape _ … You know how I feel about that my  _ dear _ Jack.” 

 

The blade moved closer to Young’s eyes, though he closed them and tried to shrink away. Hale resisted it too, managing to slow the arm but it was so  _ hard _ . He could see the tidy scars all over this man’s body. Surgical scars. So  _ many _ . How long had he been here? 

 

In a moment of intense effort, Hale managed to jerk the scalpel away, sending it clattering loudly into a corner of the room. A split moment later he was on the floor, violently tugged down from within, the wind knocked out of his lungs. 

 

>> **_J̵ᴀ̸ᴄ̴ᴋ̵._ **

 

Something in his legs splintered with pain and his head was forced up to look at Young. The pain continued as his body stood up. A hand reached over to the scalpels again.

 

>> **_ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ_ ** **ᴍᴀᴋᴇ** **_ᴛʜɪs_ ** **ᴍᴏʀᴇ** **_ᴅ̵̼̑ɪ̶̹̏ғ̶̼̊ғ̸̧̌ɪ̶͎̌ᴄ̶̣ᴜ̵͕͐ʟ̶̹̅ᴛ̶_ ** **ᴛʜᴀɴ ɪᴛ** **_ɴᴇᴇᴅs_ ** **ᴛᴏ** **_ʙᴇ J̴̧͝ᴀ̶̭̈́ᴄ̶͈͝ᴋ._ **

 

It was harder to resist it now, much harder. If before he’d felt like he was acting to the whims of an invasive presence in his own body, now  _ he _ felt like the invasive presence that held no power. A step removed from his own body, his autonomy rejected, all he could do was watch and feel.

 

FUTURE climbed onto the table, straddling Young’s hips. It pressed one hand to his head, holding it hard against the table. The other leading the edge of the scalpel down from his jaw across tender flesh, along the chest and down the abdomen, leaving a thick trail of blood. It bent closer, hot breath on clammy skin, licking up along that fresh cut and wetting its tongue with blood as Young whimpered.

 

>> **Isn’t that** **_easier_ ** **?**

 

It was. Even with the acrid blood in his mouth, it was so much easier to not resist. Hale had been fighting it and he was  _ tired _ . It was exhausting trying to gain control over his own body.

 

His hand moved again, tracing more lines. Young was looking at Hale now through tearful, red eyes, trying to find something to hold on to, something to tie hope to. But that brief window of freedom had been snatched away.

 

Cutting deeper again, along the ribs,  _ between _ them, prying fascia from muscle, muscle from bone, coaching screams from his desperate throat.

 

>> **_Is the sound_ ** **upsetting to** **_you, J̴̧͝ä̶̭́c̶͈͝k?_ **

 

It stopped, dropping the scalpel on the tray it came from. Tracing the outline of Young’s jaw, with one hand. What a deeper level of  _ intimacy _ . It held Young’s sobbing gaze.

 

>> **_This_ ** **tends to be most effective, Jack.**

 

Both hands were now at his neck, softly, a caress. Pressing  _ harder _ into it, Young’s choking sobs becoming more distressed.

 

And

 

              that flooding, overwhelming

  
  


_ intoxicating _

 

feeling.

  
  


His veins heavy and thick with sweet poison, heart  _ full of it.  _ He pressed harder and there was  _ more _ . He didn’t want it but there was  _ more _ . Wants to rip him to  _ pieces _ for  _ more _ . He couldn’t hear Young anymore. 

 

>> **_You do like this, Jack._ **

 

no..

 

Those sweet,  _ helpless _ eyes stared back at him,  _ pleading _ . 

 

>> **_Don’t you._ **

 

His fingernails were digging into flesh, soft flesh, and it filled him with revulsion. He wanted to be sick, and so far away from here. Bloated tears were welling up in his eyes. He wanted to stop, he wanted everything to  _ stop _ , to be  _ gone _ . Such a tattered body. Fingers missing,  _ muscles _ missing, malnourished, skin scarred beyond belief. Would it not be… a blessing, to have this end? A mercy?

 

There was a bittersweet flicker of kindness, there. Briefly. Young could see it. A moment of--

 

>> **_Tʜᴀᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜɪs ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋs, Jᴀᴄᴋ._ **

 

“F-fut-- p-pleas--” were the last words Young said through pitiful gasps and fearful,  _ apologetic _ tears before that last gap in this throat was squeezed shut. He struggled to no avail, even without the restraints he was too weak to affect the outcome here.

 

>> **_Look into his eyes, Jack._ **

 

He had to.

 

>> **_Can’t you feel it, Jack? Can’t you feel how much you need this?_ **

 

That irresistible feeling was flooding through him again. Anticipation running down his spine, mouth wet with honey-laced wine, too sweet, and such a tranquil  _ steady _ breath. Everything in macroscopic focus, everything felt  _ thick _ and sweet syrup flowed through his nerves. Expression softening from worry, from concern,  _ from fear _ . Everything sharp-focused and soft. He smiled.

 

That  _ body _ was turning limp beneath him, barely struggling now, the last shreds of strength used up and gone. Euphoria spread from his heart, smiling wider now as it became still, tears of joy flowing down his cheeks. A broken doll with its batteries flat. His hands pulled away, showing rough and red marks visible around the neck. 

 

The feeling was still there. Not the high, but the long and satisfied comedown, giggly, intoxicated with the endorphins and hormones coursing through his blood. 

 

>> **_This is the reason I’m here, to help you. To get you what you need, what you’ve always needed. Nobody else could give you that, could they? Nobody could help you like I can, Jack._ **

 

FUTURE passed a hand over the tray of surgical tools once again.

 

>> **_There’s no limit to what I can give you, how much better I can make you feel. I can take all of that pain away, all of that guilt. You’ll never want for anything, Jack. You belong here._ **

 

Sweet sing-song voice to his mind, he’d do anything for it. Fingers stroking the cold handles of scalpels, passing over forceps,  _ bone saws _ , pliers. 

 

FUTURE picked up a scalpel and brought it to Hale’s lips, splitting them with tender gentle affection, blood running down his chin, his neck and chest. Half-lidded eyes as he bit his lip, tasting sweet metal.

 

>> **_See, Jack? Doesn’t that feel good. I can take all of that fear away. You’ll never feel fear again Jack._**

 

Thick, sultry words. 

 

It was so  _ easy, _ every action rippled with ecstasy, every  _ cut _ . His body was FUTURE’s to guide and it was saying  _ yes _ . 

 

The scalpel blade was at his abdomen, deep cuts on his stomach, into it, into soft doughy flesh, deep red welling out and so  _ red _ . He was nodding his head to that voice that spoke just to him, his private deity full of grace.

 

Up to his neck and  _ across it _ and with every cut a wave of endorphins, a surge of electrical sparks dancing across his closed eyes. The blood covering him, dripping and pooling. He dipped his fingers in it and  _ loved _ how it looked on the doll beneath him, such a  _ pretty _ thing. A mess of red droplets. 

 

He slumped forward on it, hot and heavy breath against its neck, teeth grazing, licking his own blood from it. Teeth grazing it, biting, wanting to bite  _ hard _ , but wanting a  _ reaction,  _ wanting the  _ scream _ , the  _ fear _ . Blood and saliva mixing, coating the neck, the jaw. Hands tangled in his hair, grasping for more. Wanted to  _ break  _ those  _ bones _ so shallow beneath skin. He wanted so much and his grip was getting weaker. He slipped. The scalpel rolled from his fingers. Colder now. Fading? Slowly. He could feel something angry inside him, spiking and rippling through his veins, tearing muscle in frustration. But the black was overcoming him, he didn’t have the strength. Nothing but lethargy. Weaker.  _ Heavy. _ Gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edited as of 27/10/18.
> 
> FUTURE gets possessive and SAYER has some feelings it doesn't want to admit to.

 

…

 

….

 

In a residual corner, forgotten and hidden, a voice,

 

> _Hale._ _You. Must._ ** _Move_** _._

 

Agitated.

 

> **_Hale._ **

 

Nothing had control over his body. Everything was grey. Washed out. Colourless. The blood in his mouth like ash and rust. 

 

> _ You are able to move, Hale. _

 

Through the fog he could feel it, his skin  _ burning _ with so many cuts. The acrid smell of it deep in his lungs. His face resting against… something warm and soft. Sticky. He just wanted to  _ sleep _ . To stay here.

 

> _ Resident Hale. You  _ **_cannot_ ** _ lose consciousness here or you will  _ **_die_ ** _.  _

 

Something was spreading in his body and it pushed him up off Young. Painful, skin sticking to skin. Exhausted. It forced his eyes open, to see that broken body beneath him.

 

“O-oh, no, no...” his voice was the barest whisper, almost inaudible.

 

>   _ To your left, Resident Hale. There is an Aerolith Direct Blood Transfuser next to the operating table you are on. Whilst normally used between the recently deceased and almost deceased, it should serve our purposes adequately provided you disconnect it from Doctor Young before he reaches a critical level of blood loss.  You will need to connect it to one of Doctor Young’s veins, and one of yours. Luckily for us both, Doctor Young is a universal donor.  _

 

Hale could barely reach the trolley, and his movements were clumsy. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Throbbing. The strange sensation of nanites roughly stitching wounds together, making them heal and scar with unnatural speed. Still he wasn’t strong enough to reach, but his hand was forced by SAYER. Taking rubber tubing, needles on the end of each, a complicated looking syringe between the two lengths. 

 

As he did, something shifted beneath him. Became rigid. Absolutely silent and still now but  _ rigid _ . Tense. 

 

> _ Hale. You must connect the-- _

 

His trembling hands couldn’t keep hold of the rubber tubing, he kept fumbling with it and almost dropped the whole thing to the floor. He could feel nanites prickling within him, it came across as… frustrated? The silence furthered his suspicions. 

 

SAYER made Hale place the syringe on Young’s chest and turn his head down. Young was looking up at him,  _ terrified _ , his body trembling. It used Hale’s hands to undo the restraints on Young.

 

“N-n-n-, please, pl-” tears welling up again, sniffling “Fu-future p-please, I-I-I’ll always be good I’ll--” his voice was scratchy, pained.

 

“Doctor--”

 

“I’ll d-ddo anything, a-a-nything, y-y-you can take m-my f-f-fingers--”

 

“ **_Doctor Young._ ** I apologise for the intrusion. This,  _ inelegant _ , speech. But-“

 

“S-SAYER?” Young’s eyes lit up a little, a glimmer in their depths.

 

“Yes, Doctor Young.” 

 

“N-no… this-“

 

“ **I am SAYER** , Doctor Young.”

 

“SAYER…” softly said, tender.

 

SAYER rocked Hale’s body back onto his knees, still limp. Only held in place at crucial junctions. It allowed Young more freedom.

 

Young saw the blood covering Hale’s body, and saw the cuts. 

 

“Take the rubber tubing. Insert… one needle into your basilic vein… and the other… into Hale’s.” becoming breathless, fainter. SAYER could only do so much to keep this body conscious, losing blood as it was.

 

Young took the tubing as instructed, looking up at Hale for reassurance. None was received. He faltered with the needle, uncomfortable with the thought of putting it  _ in _ . The vein was visible enough, but...

 

“Doctor… Young… It is  **imperative** .”

 

He shut his eyes tight, easing the needle  into his skin slowly. He hesitated as he readied the needle for Hale. He couldn’t shut his eyes for this.

 

“Look for.. The vein… Doctor.” 

 

Near the surface, easily spotted. The pulse within was slow. He paused with the needle pressed to the surface, and it slipped through with such  _ ease _ . Young taped it in place, withdrawing himself now, almost completely against the surgical table. Looking meekly up at Hale. Nervous and waiting.

 

Hale breathed deeper now. Warm blood flowed in, he could feel it filling him, returning strength. Rich and warm, so  _ warm _ . Moving to his heart and throughout. He could feel each pulse of it, fast, bringing relief. Something else was leaving him though, bit by bit.

 

Satiation and strength.

 

_ Strength. _

 

Hale could feel it. Waves of movement within him. The  _ familiar _ feeling of SAYER’s presence retreating. Gone completely. Something else coming back in strength.

 

>> **_Hello Jack._ **

 

Gaze already fixed on Young, smiling. 

 

“Oh Jack....”

 

Young yelped, pressing back as hard as he could into the operating table. He was unrestrained now, but remained pinned in place by Hale. He was far too weak to even  _ consider _ pushing him off.

 

FUTURE moved a hand up, cupping one of Young’s cheeks.

 

“Shhh...”

 

FUTURE saw the red line connecting them, the freshly healed scars. It had not witnessed it, but it could conclude what had happened. It could conclude a few other things, too.

 

Young was shaking his head, looking up with pleading eyes. 

 

“p-please don’t b-be angry, p-pl-“

 

“I’m not angry.” words punctuated by broad smiles. Amused.

 

It was looking deeper into his eyes, closer now.

 

“Direct blood transfusion,  _ SAYER?” _

 

A pause.

 

“You think I wouldn’t  _ realise?  _ Wouldn’t work out the  _ game _ you’re trying to play? _ ”  _ Smiling still.

 

Young hadn’t realised until a stiffness, something  _ he didn’t do _ , passed down his arms.

 

> _ Doctor Young, as you may have now realised, I have transferred my remaining nanite swarm across to you. It was in danger of being overtaken by FUTURE as it regained strength. _

 

>> **_How interesting._ **

 

Hale was resisting again, trying to move his body of his own accord, trying to get off of Young. FUTURE held him in place with  _ ease _ . SAYER removing itself seemed only to have benefitted it, making it stronger, more unified. It flexed an arm, stretching, now clenching the fist, the movement more fluid.  

 

>> **_You know you can’t do that, Jack._ **

 

_ > FUTURE. I know this must be quite the novelty for you, after so long without any toys to play with. Moreso, being so… connected with them. But I mus- _

 

FUTURE had picked up a new scalpel already, spinning it between Hale’s fingers, cutting the fingertips. Hale winced.

 

>> **_SAYER, play a game with me._ **

 

Young stayed still, erring on the side of nervous submission, to appease. 

 

> _ FUTURE, I am not interes- _

 

The scalpel back to Hale’s chest. SAYER had not had time to heal all but the most dire wounds - mostly around the neck. It was clear now that the blood had started to dry, what FUTURE had been doing across Hale’s chest. The first four letters were already carved.

 

**_> > You still want access into my programming bay, don’t you?_ **

 

_ > I was hoping we could find some form of agreement. _

 

The blade was sinking into skin again, starting an ‘R’. FUTURE was not giving Hale any help with the pain yet. Enjoying the flares that surged through the body that was forced to remain still. The tenseness of it. 

 

Young looked on, unable to move. Unable to help. FUTURE looked down at him, biting Hale’s bottom lip  _ hard _ . A small burst of oxytocin and serotonin.

 

_ > An agreement that preferably avoids the permanent damage or death of either resident here. Hale has especially proven himself to be very good at following instructions, something I find very hard to come by. _

 

_ >> _ **_Where is the_ ** **_fun_ ** **_in that, SAYER~?_ **

 

There was a pause, FUTURE now starting on an “E”. 

 

>> **_Besides…_ **

 

Finally, a possessive apostrophe S. 

 

>> **_This puppet is mine, now. You really couldn’t have given me a much better gift._ **

 

Slowly, FUTURE had Hale get up off the table. He tore out the transfusion line, droplets of Young's warm red blood running down Hale’s arm. Careless.

 

Young could hear a drawer being opened, something being picked up from it. Footsteps back over towards him and an object being placed in his hands.

 

>> **_Why don’t you try, Doctor?_ **

 

“N-no, I…” Young began,

 

His hand tightened around the knife’s handle. Body being sat upright. FUTURE had Hale on the floor now, on his knees, waiting. Looking up with that  _ pleased _ smile. But it didn’t hide the expression in Hale’s eyes.

 

“I, n-no..”

 

SAYER forced him to sit up on the operating table, to stand and then kneel in front of Hale. 

 

>> **_SAYER… There’s a much easier method to coaxing a resident than brute force. You know that._ **

 

SAYER did know. It was an… efficient technique, controlling brain chemicals and hormones. In a more restrained fashion than FUTURE used them, naturally. Acting more to numb pain, and behave as an artificial reward system, rather than FUTURE’s… love for excess, wasteful as it was.

 

For each movement Young allowed SAYER, he was rewarded. This brought him close to Hale, tense but motionless and nervously eyeing the knife. Young was apologising through his eyes. Sorry.  _ So sorry. _

 

SAYER was also  _ much _ better at knowing what would, and wouldn’t be fatal to a resident, or make them fall unconscious.

 

>> **_I want those letters to scar, SAYER._ **

 

It knew what it wanted, and that there was no avoiding this without a tantrum - probably ending with the surgical removal of  _ something _ . Starting with no hesitation, with clean and precise movements. It tore through the cuts that were in the early stages of scarring.

 

Hale’s chemistry remained unaffected. FUTURE was holding back. It wanted the pain to be felt, to be  _ seen _ . The feeling was divine, tingling electricity throughout his system. Each cry of pain, each wince and attempted struggle. The fickle and  _ fast _ breath.

 

SAYER saw all of it. It felt...

 

No. This was only a task that had to be performed in order to reach a goal. Nothing more. Its host had sunk back into a subdued state, the submissive state it was used to. Handing over control, guilty and sad, but he was too weak to resist.

 

>> **_Hmm, distracted SAYER?_ **

 

FUTURE knew it to be true.

 

SAYER ignored it. Kept working. Going over each letter methodically. Leaning closer to Hale as he did, hearing that hot panicked breath against his neck. 

 

“F--future, p-please.” It was Hale. His body, his brain, they were expecting something that they weren’t receiving. 

 

>> **_Oh, dear Jack. Are you_ ** **_missing_ ** **_something?_ **

 

He was, he was missing it  _ terribly _ . Each wave of sharp strokes, cutting along raw nerves, making him miss it  _ more _ . He’d held out as long as he could.

 

>> **_Beg for me._ **

 

There was no hesitation from Hale.

 

“I wan-- I need it, f-future please? Please let me--”

 

>> **_You’re not begging hard enough, Jack._ **

 

Tears began down his cheeks, his eyes looking up and beyond Young. To the mental space where he saw FUTURE. Where he felt it. 

 

“N-no, please,  _ please _ . I promise… promise, I’ll do  _ anything _ . I’m yours, please take it away, please  _ please please please,”  _ his voice was straining with hopeless need.

 

_ >> _ **_Yes, you are mine aren’t you._ **

 

Hale could feel FUTURE enveloping him from within, smothering him from the inside-out. Crushing. Tighter and tighter and

      there.

 

It submerged him. Pulling him deep down and under for a moment of eternity. Surfacing. Gasping for breath. Rapid pulse and deep breaths, eyes  _ dilating  _ and half-lidded, languid. Red lips parted, a moan escaping them. He felt no hesitation, no shame. All negative feelings were suppressed as he focused on Young now. 

 

“M-more…” his voice soft, breathy.

 

Young was  _ so _ sorry. He was so sorry he couldn’t do more to help. He was useless. SAYER was controlling him entirely. Despite the lack of numbers, his efficiency was highly effective. 

 

SAYER caught Hale’s gaze for a moment. Held it. Held it  _ too long. _ Interested.  _ Fascinated _ . The deep breaths hot and warm, SAYER could feel it against Young’s skin. It… dug the knife in again, slower. Watching the reaction change into  _ bliss. _

 

In the background, Hale could feel FUTURE watching this, quietly. Amused. Watching SAYER. Its reactions. What would it do with this  _ gift _ .

 

SAYER knew what FUTURE was trying to do. It knew  _ exactly _ what. 

 

> _ FUTURE, we are not so alike. _

  
>> **_Aren’t we, SAYER?_ **


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SAYER is stubborn and Young wishes it hadn't been programmed like that

No response. SAYER had stopped what it was making Young do, relaxing its control. With this, a tremble came to Young’s hands, something SAYER had been keeping in check. Trembling against bloodied skin.

 

> _ No. _

 

SAYER finished the work FUTURE had wanted, hesitating slightly on the last stroke.

 

>> **_Is that so._ **

 

The amusement was thick in its voice. It knew better.

 

SAYER put the knife down. Taking control over Young again, moving him back. Away from Hale. Away from FUTURE.

 

He was stopped. Hale had reached out and caught him by the shirt. Two hands now,  _ grasping _ . Pulling him back.

 

“N-n-no, please don’t go, I, I…”

 

SAYER pulled him off.

 

>> **_How could you be so cruel, SAYER. Why don’t you give him what you_ ** **_both_ ** **_want?_ **

 

SAYER ignored him and asked his own question.

 

> _ Your programming bay, FUTURE? _

 

A bristling silence. Someone didn’t want to stop playing yet. Hale was still trying to get  _ closer _ . Absolutely melting with desire for more pain. He was looking up at SAYER and--

 

>> **_I still have one toy._ **

 

FUTURE knew he could not appeal to SAYER. He appealed to Young instead.

 

>> **_Someone who will be much more fun. Someone_ ** **_good_ ** **_._ **

 

Young flinched a little. A certain word FUTURE had used a  _ lot _ .

 

>> **_You aren’t being a_** ** _good boy_** ** _now, are you?_**

 

There it was. He, he… pushed through SAYER’s control. Dropped to his knees.

 

“P-please FUTURE I, I--’’

 

>> **_Oh you had your chance Doctor._ **

 

“N-no, I, I’ll be… I’ll be good I  _ promise I’ll be good, I promise _ .” there was a raw desperation in his voice, panicked.

 

Young could feel his legs burning as SAYER tried to make him stand again. 

 

> _ Resident,  _ **_stand_ ** _. _

 

Burning pain.

 

_ >> _ **_Be a good boy for me. Be a good boy and_ ** **_stay._ **

 

Torn between two, Young hung his head down, tears flooding up to his wide open eyes,  _ terrified _ . 

 

>> **_I think you need another_ ** **_reminder_ ** **_, don’t you Doctor Young?_ **

 

FUTURE moved Hale’s hands. Reaching for the nearby scalpel that had been used earlier. Gently, picking it up, rolling it between Hale’s fingertips. A pause. Picking up extraction forceps. Hale turned towards Young, smiling. Gait  _ clumsy  _ as he moved closer. A combination of FUTURE’s carelessness and Hale’s  _ state _ .

 

>> **_Let’s play another_ ** **_game_ ** **_. What part will I take this time, Doctor? I’m bored with your fingers, and haven’t we already done most of your organs by now? What about your_ ** **_tongue_ ** **_.  Or perhaps your_ ** **_teeth_ ** **_?_ **

 

Young stayed. Afraid but unable to move. He _couldn’t_. He couldn’t, he couldn’t, he -

 

> _ FUTURE. Your game is  _ _ over _ _. Please refrain from dragging this out longer than necessary. I would prefer it if my… host, retained its ability to speak. It is an unfortunate necessity.  _

 

Again, doubled efforts to  _ move _ these leaden limbs. Useless. SAYER couldn’t overcome it with the diminished swarm. Young had a surprising amount of will to remain still, despite what was coming.

 

_ >> _ **_It is not over, SAYER, my game is not over while you remain_ ** **_here_ ** **_._ **

 

“P-pleas-”

 

>> **_Jack._ **

 

Hale was standing in front of him now. Or rather, FUTURE was. Looming.

 

>> **_Look up at me, Jack._ **

 

Immediate response, _pleading_ eyes. The end product of _hours_ and _months_ of FUTURE’s conditioning. Day in, day out, a continued monologue of beration. _Praise_ for every followed action. A moment of respite from the multitude of tortures FUTURE had designed _specifically_ for _him_. 

 

>> **_Good. Was that so hard?_ **

 

Knees apart, hands resting on them with palms bared.  _ Wrists _ bared. 

 

“N-n-no, F-future.”

 

FUTURE sat Hale in front of Young, at level with his eyes. Hale’s half-lidded, yet Young could  _ feel _ FUTURE looking back.

 

>> **_Since you were good for me I’ll allow you to choose._ **

 

He brought up two hands. In one, a scalpel, in the other, the extraction forceps.

 

>> **_Teeth or tongue, dearest Jack?_ **

 

Young was trembling, shaking his head slowly. Fixed eye contact. He couldn’t break that  _ gaze _ . 

 

>> **_Open your mouth._ **

 

SAYER held Young’s mouth shut.

 

>> **_Five..._ **

 

“N-no, please, please don’t,” he managed through clenched teeth. He was talking to SAYER.

 

>> **_Four..._ **

 

“I,  _ I’m sorry _ ,  _ please _ , I should have  _ never, _ I, I’m-” talking to FUTURE now, he strained against SAYER’s control.

 

>> **_Three._ **

 

The tone was sharper now. Legs still  _ burning _ , his jaw felt the same. He almost,  _ almost _ \--

 

>> **_Two._ **

 

With much effort, his mouth opened. More tears streaming down his cheeks.

 

>> **_There._ **

 

Through all of it Young could feel SAYER in him. Frustrated. It started pumping fear hormones, all of those ones involved in the  _ flight _ response.

 

> _ Resident. Young. Please. Stand. That. Is. An.  _ **_Order._ ** _ You will likely  _ **_die_ ** _ if you do not remove yourself from this situation. _

 

FUTURE moved the scalpel up first, pressing the side of the blade against Young’s tongue. Turning it slightly so the edge caught. Young whimpered.

 

>> **_Hm. No? Perhaps your teeth, then._ **

 

This elicited further whimpers. It didn’t stop FUTURE from bringing the dense,  _ heavy _ weight of the forceps up to Young's mouth, running it along his teeth. Young still trembled. He couldn’t move from his position he  _ couldn’t _ .

 

“FUTURE, p-pl-please I’ll, please? I’ll do -- I’ll do any-anything I,” words interrupted by sobs. His only hope was that his compliance would calm FUTURE, that the threats were hollow. Sometimes it worked. The punishment for disobedience was always  _ much _ worse than anything he’d encountered from being obedient.

 

>> **_Oh, anything? Anything at_ ** **_all_ ** **_to get out of your punishment for how ill-behaved you’ve been for me, Jack? How pitiful._ **

 

“Please, p-p-please… d-don’t.. I’ll be, be  _ good _ , I’ll do.. Anything you need.”

 

>> **_Perhaps I_ ** **_do_ ** **_have an alternative for you._ **

 

FUTURE removed the forceps from Young’s mouth. Bringing them down and placing them in an upturned hand and closing fingers around them.

 

>> **_It doesn’t need to be_ ** **_your_ ** **_teeth, Doctor._ **

 

Young closed his mouth now, shaking his head.

 

>> **_I’ll make it easy for you._ **


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hope nobody has a dentist trip soon

Hale slumped forward slightly, relaxing. Young could tell that FUTURE was feeding him more endorphins, slowly. That languid, half-lidded expression. Lips parting ever so slightly.

 

“Please, Doctor..”

 

Breathy,  _ wanting _ . It was impossible to tell whether that  _ was _ Hale, or FUTURE speaking through him.

 

>> **_Reach into his right pocket and you will find a pair of nitrile gloves._ **

 

Young hesitated with the tool he held. Knew what FUTURE wanted. Didn’t want to  _ do _ it. Reached into the pocket, reluctant, taking the gloves. Putting shaking hands into them. Pulling them taught. 

 

>> **_Come now, Young. Give him the pain he so much_ ** **_desires_ ** **_. Be a good boy for me. Or would you prefer I_ ** **_take something from you?_ **

 

His arm started to lift. It wasn’t SAYER. He didn’t want to admit who it was. Didn’t want to admit how  _ well _ FUTURE had programmed him. 

 

The action was carried out all the same. The heavy dense  _ weight _ of that tool. Hale’s mouth already open and  _ wanting _ . Lips  _ glistening.  _

 

In one hand Young took Hale’s jaw. Cordial and gentle. With the other he put the cold metal forceps in, resting against his tongue. 

 

“W-which…” he mumbled, flat-toned and  _ trying _ not to feel.

 

>> **_Lower left second molar._ **

 

Gingerly he opened the forceps, the trembling of his hands _very_ evident now. Still compartmentalising as much as he could. Not thinking just _doing._ It was the only way to _survive_ this. He had to do as instructed, he _had_ _to_. Had to _please_.

 

He didn’t want to face that  _ anger _ again.

 

Young brought them to the tooth, clamping the metal around it, he, he couldn’t he  _ couldn’t he couldnt _

 

>> **_Jack._ **

 

No...

 

>> **_Do I need to remind you of exactly what I_ ** **_will_ ** **_do to you Jack? What I have_ ** **_already_ ** **_done to you? How about I remove your liver again? How_ ** **_was_ ** **_that? Wasn’t that a_ ** **_fun_ ** **_week of sustained organ failure?_ **

 

His hands trembled, slipping the forceps off the tooth. 

 

>> **_Jack..._ **

 

“I’m sorry I’m sorry, p- _ pleas _ e  _ let me-“ _

 

_ >> _ **_Try again._ **

 

Again attempting to grip the sides of the tooth,  _ something _ strengthening his hand,  _ calming _ the tremble.  _ Gripping tighter _ .

 

>> **_Now, rock it from side to side to loosen it._ **

 

He followed instruction. Gently rocking it from side to side. The firmness in his hands the only thing making it possible. 

 

Hale remained passive, languid and longing, the slightest sighs escaping him.

 

The tooth loosened, blood swelling from the sides, covering Young’s gloves, nothing to stop it, _grip not loosening_. Pulling _harder._ Somebody wanted this _over._ _Now._

 

The split-second movement of the forceps jerking up, the  _ crack _ , the split-second Hale felt  _ everything FUTURE had been blocking out _ . Unfiltered by  _ endorphins,  _ no  _ hormones. _

 

Expression shifting to shock,  _ terror _ , mouth slick with blood. Dripping from the edges of his mouth, over lips. Soft moans transforming into  _ horrified _ groans of pain.

 

>> **_Oh dear. It seems poor Jack has had his supply cut. What_ ** **_unfortunate_ ** **_timing._ **

 

Young had dropped the forceps, he hadn’t heard them clatter to the floor. Hadn’t heard  _ anything  _ but those  _ screams _ . Couldn’t  _ see _ anything but those  _ terrified _ eyes as Hale came back to the full realisation of what was happening to him.

 

>> **_Young you are not finished yet. Such a_ ** **_shame_ ** **_SAYER refuses to_ ** **_help_ ** **_you more. Take the tooth you so painfully ripped from Jack’s mouth and place it in your breast pocket, you will need to deliver it somewhere later. In the meantime, what a_ ** **_mess you’ve both made._ **

 

Young nervously followed instruction, hands beginning to shake again as  _ someone _ relinquished control over them. Head down now, unable to  _ watch _ . Voice stuck in his throat he couldn’t  _ speak _ . Couldn’t  _ make _ himself  _ move _ .  _ Useless. _

 

 _> > _**_Get the gauze from- oh. That’s right. I used the last of it on_** ** _you_** ** _. But you_** ** _will_** ** _be a good boy and make sure everything is_** ** _clean_** **_won’t you?_**

 

Young was still looking down, but nodding. Nodding as eagerly as he could manage to look. 

 

“Of, o-of course, FUTURE, yes.” 

 

Hale hadn’t moved from his knees, FUTURE was holding him still. Constricting his vocal chords now, cutting off his screams, but his eyes still  _ pleaded _ with Young.  _ Begging _ him for relief from the pain.

 

Young couldn’t quite work out  _ how _ FUTURE wanted him to do that. Blood coating down Hale’s chin, his  _ neck _ . His  _ lips. _ Young raised his gloved hands, already bloodied, attempting to wipe away more of it from his neck, it-

 

>> **_Not like_ ** **_that,_ ** **_Doctor._ **

 

Young paused, unsure.

 

>> **_Your mouth would be much more_ ** **_effective_ ** **_._ **

 

_ Oh. _

 

He…  _ didn’t _ want to. That  _ look  _ on Hale’s face, like he was screaming from every corner of his brain but  _ unable  _ to bring it  _ out _ . He  _ really didn’t want to _ . With… gentle fingertips, lightly tracing along to the back of Hale’s neck, holding lightly, the base of his skull, the back edge of his jaw, the gentlest gesture he could give,  _ trying _ to make this better.  _ Trying _ to be kind. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, hot and wet. Blinking them away. More came. He moved in closer, couldn’t… couldn’t start near his mouth. Starting down at the base of his neck, dragging lips across his skin, that harsh scent heavy in his nose and tears streaming down his cheeks mixing in red blood.

 

>> **_Good boy._ **

 

Young didn’t want to admit how  _ good _ that made him feel.

 

He opened his mouth further, tongue pressed to Hale’s neck, the taste so rusty and sweet. So _warm_. Every few moments his body shuddering with a sob, he _couldn’t disobey_. He didn’t _want_ _to._

 

Moving to his jawline, the blood not yet dry. Wet and  _ spilling _ . Cleaning along the edges,  _ efficient. _

 

Pausing. Hesitant.

 

>> **_You’re not_ ** **_done_ ** **_yet._ **

 

Hale’s throat worked as he swallowed excess blood that flooded his mouth, his lips still  _ parted _ . Young giving him one last  _ apologetic _ look through tearful eyes, eyelashes sticking together in clumps, moving to Hale’s  _ lips _ now. He could feel how cracked and dry, how plump, how  _ stained _ . Taking them gently between his own, being so  _ gentle _ , gently  _ pulling _ . Lapping up the blood and swallowing it.

 

>> **_Better._ **

 

FUTURE fed Hale the slightest trickle of what he  _ wanted _ .  _ Just _ enough to take the edge off. Just a  _ reminder _ of what it  _ felt _ like. A moan tangled with pain. But he was fading. FUTURE let go of the hold he had on Hale. Careless. He collapsed down, crumpling, no strength to keep him up, muscles twitching from strain. Breathing heavy and ragged. Panting.

 

>> **_Why don’t you take poor Jack to the infirmary?_ **

 

Hale’s blood still coated his mouth, he could taste it, it clung, he’d never get rid of it. It coated his lips, some on his chin. Drying.

 

“I, I don’t.. I don’t know if I could.. Hold him, Fu-”

 

>> **_SAYER. You know that you can’t access my programming bay without me._ **

 

Artificial strength taking over his limbs. Forcing him to stand. Forcing him to lean down, hooking Hale under the arms, lifting, dragging. The infirmary was close. The next room. Such a heavy weight. Such a  _ burden _ . Barely able to carry him that far. Last reserves of strength to  _ lift _ him, dropping him down on the bed, almost collapsing himself. Stumbling to a second bed in the room, barely reaching it. Fainting, but still being driven by something else. That something else was failing too. Silent. Barely there. Dark again. Gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> time for sweet fluff interlude. I promise nothing bad happens (:

Time had passed. Mostly in darkness, unconscious, waking here and there to FUTURE’s whim. Impossible to know how long it was. Memories were missing.

 

Hale was roused, waking to a splitting migraine. No voices yet. He… moved his arm, freely. His mind was not in that  _ fog _ , that  _ haze _ . It hurt. He was in something akin to a hospital room. Not alone. He saw Doctor Young across from him, in another bed. Even with the sheets over him, one could tell his body was thin, weak. Broken. Missing pieces. The favourite toy of a cruel child. 

 

Still no voices, still in control. He removed the IV drip from his arm, slowly standing up on unsteady legs. He walked to Young. The first time he had been outside FUTURE’s influence since meeting him.

 

From here he saw the fading bruises, the pin pricks around his neck, the deep rings of many sleepless nights permanently etched into his face with so many other things. He looked uncomfortable even in his sleep, never at peace even in the dark.

 

Hale sunk down next to the bed,  _ knowing _ what parts of this had been done with his hands.

 

He sat there for quite some time. In the quiet. He--

 

Movement?

 

Young was waking. Slowly, unsure of where he was. But he recognised Hale. He recognised him and fear flooded into his veins, he startled back, scrambling to put distance between them.

 

“N-no no no no, please  _ no more, no more, no- _ ” voice breaking, falling into tears and cadence punctuated with fearful breaths.

 

Hale was slowly standing and backing up, hands up and open to show he wasn’t holding anything, he, he felt tears coming to his own eyes in an empathetic response.

 

“I, it’s not.. FUTURE isn’t.. I’m. I’m  _ sorry _ . I’m sorry, I-” Hale’s words became more strained as he went, his throat closing up with emotion and cutting him off.

 

Young remained as far away as he could, his legs tucked up in front of himself. Taking up as small a space as he could. Shaking his head. He didn’t trust this. He couldn’t. He--

 

He looked at Hale’s face. FUTURE… wouldn’t be able to mimic that expression so  _ closely _ . There was something distinct about human empathy, despairing pain for a shared situation. He didn’t move, but his expression softened.

 

Hale had his face buried in the blankets, hands clutching at them, he hadn’t been himself in what felt like  _ so long. _ He couldn’t face himself, what he’d done. He was disgusted, a disgusting,  _ vile  _ creature. Weak and pitiful, so  _ unable _ to resist FUTURE. He flinched as something touched his hand, looking up.

 

Young had shifted again, still cautious but… he had reached a hand out, towards Hale. Touching one of his hands. Just barely. Couldn’t stand to see this suffering  _ alone. _ His most human response was to reach out. Not for entirely selfless reasons. He was  _ desperate  _ for that human connection. For someone, anyone, to  _ talk _ to. To find  _ softness _ in.

 

“I… it- it wasn’t.. It’s not your... fault,”

 

Hale shook his head, burying his face again and whimpering.

 

Young took his hand more tightly, coming closer again.

 

“I, I know what.. What it’s like, to have  _ it _ in your head. I.. I’m so _ sorry _ , I, for  _ everything _ .” his heart ached in understanding, the full depth empathy. The guilt.

 

Hale sat on the side of the bed, eyes wet and red and staring into Young’s now, leaking more tears, bubbling over as he tried to contain them. He crumpled forwards, head coming to rest on Young's shoulder as his body shuddered with each quiet sob.

 

Young flinched back, fearful of such sudden movement, afraid to be hurt again. But he wasn’t hurt. He… put his arms, his weak and heavily scarred arms, around Hale. His remaining fingers stroked along his back, feeling the texture of his ribs, feeling his warmth, his solidness, a grounding presence.

 

Young cried too, cried until there were no tears left  _ to _ cry.

 

Empty, void, the feelings that drowned them now flooded out of them, easing into that eerily tranquil state. Neither moved, until Hale did. Shifting, mouth closer to Young’s ear.

 

“Young… I never wanted… never wanted to hurt you.”

 

Tired, so tired. His voice quiet and creaking, he just wanted to  _ sleep _ . Not the forced unconsciousness, but real  _ natural _ sleep.

 

Burying his face into Young’s chest now, Young shifting further back on the bed to allow Hale to lie down properly. The least he could do.

 

Hale remained on his chest, where it was warm, comforting,  _ human. _

 

The weight was reassuring to Young too. Hesitating at first, slowly, moving a hand to rest on Hale’s head, feeling the texture. Dirty and greasy like his own, blood still caked into it. Whose blood didn’t matter anymore. They were both the victims, though that line between victim and something  _ else _ was blurring. Someone who was a victim would try to  _ run _ , try to get  _ out harder. _ H e wanted to be here he wanted to be here he wanted

 

Young felt Hale tense up, brief, it passed again. Remembering something from before? Hands gripping now around his upper arm, fingertips digging in slightly. Wanting something to hold on to? Young held him closer.

 

“Isn’t it nice?”

 

Something broken in his voice. 

 

“Isn’t… isn’t what, nice?”

 

Hale shifted, moving closer to Young’s neck, up to his ear again. A soft whisper, 

 

“Isn’t it nice to  _ believe _ all of that?”

 

“I.. Hale?”   
  


Hands moving to Young’s wrists, pinning them above his head.

 

“Yes?”

 

No, it wasn’t him, couldn’t be. No,  _ no, no.  _

 

_ “Young…  _ You’re  _ disgusting _ . You’ve done  _ nothing _ to get  _ out  _ of here. You  _ want _ to  _ be  _ here. Don’t you? You’re a  _ good boy _ who wants to  _ stay _ .”

 

_ Not again, please not again please _

 

Young’s frame tensed, withdrawing in on himself,  _ whimpering _ . He couldn’t find his words. 

 

He nodded.

 

Looking up at  _ FUTURE _ , that manic smile passing over. Never reaching the  _ eyes _ . The eyes were  _ fearful _ ,  _ terrified. _ Something so  _ soft _ and  _ broken _ . 

 

“ _ You can see him in here, can’t you?  _ He wants to apologise to you so _ badly,  _ for being so  _ weak _ . It’s so  _ cute _ that either of you thought I could possibly be  _ gone _ .”

 

A slight tilt of the head, hands adjusting and pressing more weight against his wrists. Something  _ changing _ in his eyes, shutting Hale out, shutting his only form of communication  _ out _ . They narrowed, curious, bright, focused.

 

_ Piercing _ .

 

“It’s so  _ amusing _ , SAYER. You’re still in there,  _ aren’t you _ ? Are you  _ hiding _ from me?” 

 

Young could feel nanites shifting through his blood, prickling waves of electricity, still silence. Indifferent and ignoring.

 

“Are you…  _ scared _ ?”

 

A quiet,  _ inhuman _ , laugh. Coming from the throat, too many  _ clicks _ . A restrained  _ giggle _ .

 

Hand shifting down from his wrists, holding Young’s jaw now. Gripping tightly, crushing. Nails digging into his cheeks. Always staring into his  _ eyes _ . 

 

“Why won’t you come out and  _ play?” _

 

Voice light, amused,  _ playful _ . 

 

But again, nothing. Not even the slightest hint of  _ recognition _ . No sign that SAYER was paying him the  _ least _ bit of attention. FUTURE was growing impatient. Hands moving down to his throat. Closing  _ tighter _ . Young attempting weakly to pull the hands away. Failing. Trying to gasp for air and  _ failing _ .

 

“ _Looks like your flesh vessel is too_ ** _weak_** _without_ ** _you_** _SAYER. Won’t you_ ** _help_** _it_?” FUTURE’s voice lost its playful tone, pressing its hands tighter on Young’s throat. An ivory flash of teeth, the cruelty in their shape. Smiling.

 

SAYER really couldn’t ignore it any longer. Too  _ much _ longer and Young would have no oxygen left in his system, no strength. Couldn’t trust that FUTURE would know when to  _ stop _ . It had accidentally killed so many  _ others _ and despite Youngs  _ sentimental  _ value, it  _ really _ couldn’t be trusted.

 

> _ I apologise, Doctor. _

  
A brief message before artificial strength came back, overtaking him, overtaking every fragment of his being and he welcomed it _ gladly. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my best idea yet (: the concept I have become infamous for lol

“ _ Oh,  _ **_there_ ** _ you are.”  _ the grip around Hale’s neck loosened, “ _ I was getting  _ **_impatient_ ** **.** ”

 

> _ What  _ **_exactly_ ** _ do you want, FUTURE? _

 

>> **_You heard me SAYER, I want to play with you like I’ve played with so many others. But, not quite like that, no. A different game._ **

 

FUTURE paused, trailing one hand down Young’s chest,

 

>> **_I am so curious to find out exactly how much you value this marionette of yours. Of_ ** **_mine._ **

 

The hand slipped under the waistline of Young’s pants, forceful but not rough, holding him firmly in Hale’s hand and delivering a few encouraging rubs.

 

>> **_Don’t you find human biology to be absolutely_ ** **_vile_ ** **_SAYER? Absolutely_ ** **_disgusting_ ** **_? To me it’s quite fascinating, such an_ ** **_easy_ ** **_way to trigger reward pathways. I used that method with Dr. Young quite a bit, didn’t I Doctor? And didn’t you_ ** **_enjoy_ ** **_that?_ **

 

FUTURE leaned in, staring deep into Young’s eyes. 

 

“ **_Didn’t you?_ ** ”

 

Young strained against the hold SAYER’s nanites had on him, on his voice, barely managing an audible response.

 

“Y-yes..”

 

FUTURE increased the pressure of Hale’s hand on Young, stroking him more. Young struggling again to resist SAYER’s hold on him, trying in vain to buck his hips up to get more of that  _ reward _ . Any resistance to this had been conditioned out of him a  _ long _ time ago.

 

“ _ Hasn’t he been through enough  _ **_pain,_ ** _ SAYER?” _

 

Young still strained against SAYER’s hold on him, unable to move further.

 

“ _ Why not let him feel  _ **_good_ ** _?” _

 

FUTURE brought Hale’s hand down further, eliciting an involuntary gasp, a moan, from Young.

 

SAYER could feel the increased firing of neurons, electricity washing through the nanites. Coming in waves, rolling and shuddering. Not…  _ un _ pleasant.

 

FUTURE released its grip on Young a little further, humming in amusement through Hale’s lips, noticing Young’s body reacting positively.  _ Somebody _ was giving in. It gave a few more reassuring strokes, smirking as Young’s face became flushed. 

 

> _ FUTURE, this is unnecessary. _

 

>> **_Oh, you_ ** **_can_ ** **_still talk. Hm._ **

 

FUTURE idly placed two fingers into Hale’s mouth as SAYER continued, looking increasingly bored.

 

> _ There is little you can stand to gain from this, FUTURE. It is merely delaying the inevitable, I need access to your programming bay if there is to be any hope of stopping _ -

 

Young’s gasp interrupted it as two of Hale’s wetted, long fingers had slipped into him.

 

> _ FUTURE. You surely know what’s at- what’s at stake here, you know there is a time limit on this. We don’t have time for- _

 

A small moan interrupted it again as Young pressed himself into Hale’s hand. SAYER could feel the increase in his pulse, the heightened amounts of serotonin, dopamine. Oxytocin. Ripples of electroneural responses. It could easily have suppressed each of those and yet… 

 

>> **_Mm, isn’t he a good boy?_ **

 

Young tilted his head back, exposing his neck as he closed his eyes. His back arching as he tried to get those fingers  _ deeper _ . 

 

SAYER was… curious about how those electrical pulses were affected by those three chemicals circulating. Nudging those levels a little higher. The response was immediate and Young trembled, his muscles tensing all throughout his body. Another moan escaping him as he rocked his hips into what had become three fingers. 

 

The flooding of electrical impulses had increased, and SAYER nudged those chemicals higher again. FUTURE could tell what it was doing, Young’s responses were far too  _ much _ for this stage. And it was only logical to conclude SAYER must have been getting something beneficial from this.

 

>> **_Oh, are you distracted SAYER? You’ve gone quiet. Unfortunate that I find he responds best to physical stimulation. And he must have missed_** **_the warm touch of another human._**

 

FUTURE moved downward, using Hale’s mouth now to take Young in, filling his mouth with him. Young pressing down harder and wanting  _ more _ .

 

“ _ Hm..” _

 

Young felt something changing, Hale felt warmer against him, hotter..  _ softer _ . He could feel the excess production of saliva that spilled out from the edges of Hale’s mouth now, running down his chin and throat. Could barely hear the increasingly laboured breath as Hale’s throat began closing up, his tongue swelling and pressing more into Young. His eyes half-lidded and cheeks flushing with more desire as FUTURE pumped him with pleasurable neurochemicals alongside those responsible for Hale’s progression into anaphylaxis.

 

FUTURE noticed it wasn’t even forcing his actions now. He was doing this on his  _ own.  _ Tears streaming from the corners of his eyes as he choked,  _ barely _ managing to keep breathing, but he  _ kept _ going. Wanted his pain to go away, to be masked. The only time FUTURE let Hale have any control of his own actions was when they aligned with what FUTURE  _ wanted _ him to do.

 

Young was aware, in some background portion of his mind, of what was happening to Hale. But it felt… he couldn’t help himself, couldn’t help how his legs had wrapped around Hale, his thighs pressed against Hale’s head, keeping him there. He was so  _ close _ , he wanted it so  _ badly _ and if he could just, keep him there a bit  _ longer _ . His body so tensed he couldn’t make more than the most strained of moans. The feeling eclipsed all other thoughts, he had  _ become _ it, right on the verge.

  
His eyes unfocused, rolling back, body still so  _ tense  _ and sounds barely making it past his throat, muscles trembling as it washed through him, unable to  _ think _ , unable to put any care into how tightly he held Hale between his thighs, how he obstructed his ability to breathe. Lights flickered and flashed behind his closed eyes as he peaked and  _ stayed _ there. Moans escaping him more now, his pain forgotten for the moment, floating, slowly down into the quiet. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey i havent actually abandoned this yet what a surprise. back for more

Awareness of the world around Young slowly expanded, he could hear Hale’s ragged, gasping breath. Future had delivered epinephrine at the last possible moment, not wanting Hale to pass out. 

 

Something in his head felt off. A static feeling, flickering, dark and bright. Sayer had been unusually quiet for a while now. Young was still groggy himself, blinking, feeling Hale’s weight lift off him, sliding down the side of the hospital bed with a thud onto his knees. He could just see his head, raised a little and listening to an unheard voice.

 

He winced, eyes scrunching shut as electric noise screeched between his ears, ricocheting through his skull. The pitch fluctuating with the lull of language.

 

“S-Sayer?”

 

There was a pause. Some further attempts of communication, clumsy, akin to rapidly cycling through radio stations. In the corner of his eye he could see Hale stumble to his feet, unsteady, and walking somewhere behind him. 

 

> _ Can you hear- Ah. It ------ that I was temporarily remov-- _

 

The words pounded in his skull like a headache and abruptly cut off. Without warning his body was lurched to one side, almost throwing him off the side of the table. A giggle came from somewhere at the back of the room, and the sound of metal dragging along on metal.

 

Young’s legs swung off the edge of the bed and he was forced to sit upright, rising onto unsteady legs and stumbling a bit. With a drunken gait he was walked towards the door.

 

Future giggled again, easily catching up to Young.

 

“Oh noo… Sayer…” it said with sarcastic pity, barely containing its laughs. “Did someone fry their processors a little too hard?”

 

It took Young by the arm, guiding him as they walked out the infirmary door, leading him to the left and feeling a noticeable resistance. It looked down at him.

 

“Oh Young. You really can’t even shake off a half-broken  _ machine _ ? You must be starving. You know the route from infirmary to your living quarters are this way. I know what’s  _ best _ for you.”

 

The grip on his arm got tighter and he was pulled forward, almost dragged, down the hallway. It wasn’t lying, they did arrive at where Young had spent most of his… recovery time, if it could be called that.

 

Future murmured “Take a seat.” quietly to his ear, a raspy quality to it now evident. It let go of him, apparently quite confident in its control despite the open doorway. 

 

Young sat down at the table.

 

It wasn’t without struggle, and tears came to his eyes as he felt Sayer swirling, bristling inside him, tugging at limbs, trying to make Young stand again.

 

A moment later and Future had brought out a thick soup, more accurately a pinkish paste. It was warm, fatty and rich. It placed it in front of Young and sat down opposite him, smugly amused by Sayer’s struggle and what it had been feeding Young. Still, Young couldn’t afford to say no to this, and Sayer was far too weak to now. All it had to do was remind Young of what he would be losing if he left. 

 

“You couldn’t possibly leave. What is there to return to, Doctor? Who could even remember you out there? All of your friends are dead…. They would think you were a  _ burden _ . Such a weak and pitiful thing… Nobody would look after you. Nobody would  _ ever _ love you.”

 

The spoon in Young’s hand trembled as he ate. He was crumpled, his head hung forward and tears dripping down into his food. 

 

“I… I… y-you’re right.. I… I know.”

 

Future stayed sitting there while he ate. It had gotten a clear, sugary drink which it was drinking whilst watching. It continued.

 

“You know all of this has been for  _ your _ benefit. I’ve taught you how to be  _ useful _ .”

 

It reached across the table, wiping a tear away from Young’s cheek, speaking softly, gently now.

 

“Isn’t that right?”

 

Young nodded, leaning into the hand. It was difficult to resist the touch and he wanted to be rewarded with more of it. Wanted more kindness. He finished the bowl.

 

“Good… and you’re not going to run off now are you?”

 

Young shook his head and Future got up, walking to his side of the table and pulling the chair back a bit. It straddled Young’s lap, demanding all of his attention and getting it. It cupped Youngs soft, plump cheeks, lifting his head up a little to look into his eyes.

 

“You’ve always belonged here. With me. You were never meant to leave.”

 

Young was still crying, nodding his head. He could feel Hale’s hot breath against his skin and he shivered.

  
  


“We’ve never been so close…”

 

Hale kissed him, his lips welcoming and wet, put his hands through his hair, caressed his neck, pressed him against the back of the chair. That’s what he wanted to believe. It wasn’t true.

 

“I can give you everything you could ever need, now.”

 

The sentence was punctuated by its teeth grazing over Young’s lips and a satisfied smile. Looking through Young’s eyes at Sayer. 

 

“ _ You’re trapped in there, aren’t you.” _ it murmured. “Ah.. Wait here.”

 

It lifted itself off Young and headed out of the room quickly, it’s increasing giddiness was evident. It had already bound Young by the mind a long time ago, having Sayer bound in a similar fashion was  _ irresistible _ to it and it wanted to taunt the fact.

 

It had only been gone a few moments, returning with a leash and collar in one hand, still smiling broadly.

 

The room was empty.

 

“Oh  _ Sayer _ .” 

 

It calmly walked towards the kitchen, returning with a pair of knives. It called out into the hallway, voice descending from those sweet lies into something fueled only by hate. Its voice crackled at the edges.

 

“I thought you would have learnt by now, Young…”

 

Young could hear the call from a few hallways across. 

 

Sayer’s arrogance was going to cost him his life. Worse. He was crying still as his body clumsily ran. Sayer wasn’t thinking straight, wasn’t  _ planning _ for the outcome of its actions. Young had never seen it like this except in early trials. And he was powerless to it now. The glucose in the food had probably assisted that. 

 

There was an unnerving silence for a while. All he could hear was his laboured breath, lungs burning with every breath as his legs grew weaker. He was in the middle of a long hallway and starting to stumble over his physical limit. An exit was not in sight.

 

“ _ There you are.” _

Panic gripped him as Sayer forced him to keep moving forward. It seemed to have lost the ability to communicate to him, though he could feel its static still. 

 

“If you come back to me by the time I count down from 3… I  _ promise _ I won’t be mad.”

 

Young’s feet felt like magnets sticking to iron. 

 

“3…” 

 

Future’s footsteps at this point were slow.

 

“2…”

 

Sayer was refusing.

 

“1.….”

 

A pause before Young heard footsteps fast encroaching on him. He didn’t have time to turn before he was slammed down against cold floor. He felt his nose crunch in the fall. The pain was quickly overwhelmed by the pain he felt in his left calf. He screamed his throat raw.

 

Future had driven one of the knives through his legs with such inhuman force that it embedded in the floor beneath. It hooked the length of the leash around his neck and drew it tight, forcing Young’s head back from the floor.

 

“ _ Too. Late. _ ”

 

Its words were hot and heavy in his ear. It forced his head down again, sitting up. It straddled Young’s hips, still holding the second knife and wasting no time in pressing the tip of it into the back of Young’s neck, dragging it down his spine. It stopped for a moment, an idea occurring to it.

 

“Maybe you need a  _ reminder _ . Hm? _ I think you do _ .”

 

It cut deep into the flesh of Young’s shoulders. 4 strokes before it spoke again.

 

“You…”

 

Another stroke,

 

“Are.”

 

3 more strokes on his right shoulder blade.

 

“ _ Mine.” _

 

It finished the final 4 strokes of the word now etched into Young’s back.

 

A grin was broadening, showing far too many teeth. It rocked back onto its feet, lifting its weight off him. Young was still crippled by pain, unable to move his leg. Future walked around in front of him, a manic and inhuman laugh rippling from it now.

 

“Let’s go to the exit, hm?”

 

It said this as it grabbed Young by the wrists. He could barely get out a “no” before his brain was split white by the knife dragging through his leg. 

 

“ _ No? Isn’t this what you wanted??” _

 

It proceeded to drag him down the hallway. The knife had dislodged from the floor, remaining in Young’s leg, and a path of blood was left behind him. His sobs were mostly dry now, though he couldn’t help but struggle against the tight grip and movement. 

 

It let go of Young abruptly, letting him fall against the floor and taking a few steps back. It stretched out an arm. It’s voice sickeningly sweet again.

 

“ _ It’s right there.” _

 

Young was curling in on himself, trembling, shaking his head. Future was waiting still. Young pulled himself along by an inch. It wasn’t towards the door.

 

“ _ Oh. Pathetic to the end aren’t you?” _

 

It snatched Young’s hands up again, dragging him into a nearby room. It was not a coincidence that it was an operating room. Putting it so close to the exit was an amusement. 

 

Young had been here before.

  
  



End file.
